RENOWNED ACTOR Wil Johnson has dashed hopes of a return of the BBC drama Babyfather.

The 46-year-old says the show, which ran from 2001-2002 and has been described as a black, male version of US drama Sex and the City, is unlikely to be commissioned again, as TV bosses are reluctant to air programmes that feature predominantly black casts.

“I think we can stop holding our breath for a return of Babyfather,” Johnson told The Voice. “We’re in a recession and the TV industry is no exception. Programme controllers are vying for their jobs just like anyone else and they’re not going to invest in shows that they don’t believe will make money.

He continued: “Unless you can guarantee a cast with bankable black actors, there’s a good chance that the idea won’t be commissioned.”

Currently starring in popular ITV1 soap Emmerdale, Johnson said he would love to reunite with his fellow Babyfather actors – David Harewood, Don Gilet and Fraser James – for a new series, as he believes the show was unique.

“If the BBC said they wanted to do another Babyfather, I’d jump at that opportunity. It was something unique, something special and there’s been nothing like it since.

“How many shows like that have there been since then where you’ve seen more than two black people in the same space? And yet, at the time, I don’t think people appreciated how unique the show was.”

Read the full exclusive interview with Wil Johnson in next week’s issue of The Voice, out on January 24